Simultaneous operations, often called SIMOPS, occur when work activities can affect each other. The teams do not need to share the same task. A delivery route, a crane setup and work above a doorway can create an interface even when each team has its own risk assessment and supervisor.
Before using the checklist
Use a simultaneous operations checklist to review the combined work area and timing. Start with a current layout and a realistic schedule rather than three separate documents. HSE guidance on using contractors addresses sharing information and managing the work together. The checklist below is an original construction coordination tool, not a universal legal SIMOPS permit.
Copy and adapt: Use this original checklist within your controlled site process. Add the applicable references and retain evidence for each decision.
SIMOPS Checklist for Construction Work Interfaces
| Review item | What to confirm or record |
|---|---|
| Activities and owners | List each operation, responsible supervisor, location and planned start and finish. |
| Shared space | Mark overlapping work envelopes, access routes, landing areas and public or occupied areas. |
| Interaction hazards | Identify how one activity could expose another team to movement, falling objects, fumes, noise or stored energy. |
| Sequence | Decide which tasks can run together and which need separation in time or location. |
| Shared controls | Identify who provides and maintains barriers, access arrangements and other shared protection. |
| Permits and isolations | Cross-reference affected authorisations and identify conflicting assumptions before release. |
| Communication | Set contact arrangements, stop signals, coordination reviews and the means of briefing affected crews. |
| Change and emergency | Define who reviews changes and ensure emergency access and response arrangements remain workable. |
A worked example
Illustrative example: a scaffold modification is planned over an entrance while a delivery team intends to use the doorway. Each task has a supervisor, but the interface has no owner. The coordination review changes the sequence and assigns responsibility for keeping the agreed route closed or redirected. Both teams are briefed before their work is released.
Follow-up and records
Record decisions in plain language: which activity moves, when the restriction starts, who confirms release and how the crews will know. Do not settle for “coordinate with others.” Review the actual arrangement when work begins. A changed delivery time or extended work envelope can invalidate the agreed separation even when the individual task methods remain unchanged.
Record the date, location or asset, findings, action owner, due or hold point and closure evidence. Use Yes / No / Not applicable only with a reason where needed. A blank or unexplained tick should not hide an unresolved concern.
Track outstanding actions in your daily safety officer report. Review recurring problems through your safety committee action log.
Common questions
Does a morning coordination meeting cover all later changes?
No. Review new interfaces and significant changes when they occur and update the affected teams.
Who owns a shared barrier?
Assign a named responsible person or role and clear handover arrangements. Do not assume both teams will maintain it.
Sources and applicability
The sources below identify their own jurisdictions or product scope. Confirm current Saudi requirements, your client procedures and relevant manufacturer instructions before adopting this example. No regulator or client approval of this checklist is claimed.
- HSE: Using contractors — Great Britain guidance.